In the most significant American airstrike in the region since the early days of the Global War on Terror, the U.S. military executed a surprise, high-impact assault on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure late Saturday night. The operation, code-named Operation Midnight Hammer, marked a turning point in escalating tensions between Iran, Israel, and the West—and possibly the start of a broader conflict.
The Mission
According to Pentagon officials, the strike targeted three critical nuclear facilities—Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan—and involved more than 125 aircraft, including B-2 Spirit stealth bombers, fighter escorts, refueling tankers, electronic warfare platforms, and decoys. Most notably, this mission was the largest B-2 operation in U.S. history and the second-longest B-2 flight since 9/11.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Air Force Gen. Dan Caine hold a press briefing at the Pentagon, June 22, 2025. (DoD photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Alexander Kubitza)
For the first time in combat, the U.S. unleashed GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrators (MOPs)—15-ton “bunker buster” bombs—designed to destroy deeply buried, fortified targets. In total, 14 MOPs were dropped, with each B-2 carrying two of the bombs on precise aim points inside Iran’s hardened nuclear facilities.
NEW: Gen Dan ‘Razin’ Caine gives detailed breakdown of Operation Midnight Hammer, says over 125 U.S. military aircraft were involved.
– Large B2 strike package left the continental U.S. on midnight Friday.
– Part of the package went east, the other went west as a decoy.
The strike reportedly began at 6:40 p.m. ET and lasted just 25 minutes over Iranian airspace. Despite the scale and precision of the mission, Iran failed to respond during the incursion. According to USAF Gen. Dan Caine, Chief of the Joint Staff, “no shots were fired at the strike package” and Iranian fighter jets and SAM systems never reacted.
Strategic Shock and Political Fallout
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, flanked by General Caine at a Pentagon press conference Sunday morning, emphasized the operation’s effectiveness and the element of surprise:
“Iran’s fighters didn’t fly. Their SAM systems didn’t light up. We retained total stealth,” Caine said. “This was a clean hit with zero American casualties.”
(DoD photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Alexander Kubitza)
President Donald Trump addressed the nation shortly after the strike, stating that the targeted sites were “completely and totally obliterated.” He later warned Iran on Truth Social:
“ANY RETALIATION BY IRAN AGAINST THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WILL BE MET WITH FORCE FAR GREATER THAN WHAT WAS WITNESSED TONIGHT.”
As damage assessments continue, U.S. officials claim the Iranian nuclear program has been “obliterated.” Iran, for its part, confirmed the strikes but has not released a full damage report. However, early satellite imagery suggests massive destruction at Fordow and Natanz.
A History of Warnings, But No Proof
While Pentagon officials have declared Operation Midnight Hammer a decisive blow to Iran’s nuclear program, critics are once again pointing to a decades-long pattern of warnings that have consistently lacked public, verifiable proof.
As early as 1992, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu—then serving as a member of the Israeli Knesset—warned that Iran was just “three to five years” away from developing a nuclear bomb. That message became a recurring theme for Netanyahu across the following decades, including in his 1995 book Fighting Terrorism, and in speeches before both the U.S. Congress and the United Nations.
“The most dangerous of these [threats] is the nuclear threat,” Netanyahu told Congress in 1996, referencing Iran. In 2009, he again told the U.N. General Assembly that Iran was “seeking to obtain a nuclear weapon” and called it “the gravest threat to our existence.”
Despite these stark predictions—and years of international inspections, satellite monitoring, and intelligence gathering—no publicly available evidence has ever confirmed that Iran possesses a nuclear weapon, nor that it has finalized the construction of one.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has repeatedly raised concerns about uranium enrichment and lack of transparency, but to date has not confirmed the existence of a completed warhead or operational nuclear device.
In light of this, critics of the U.S. strike are questioning whether Operation Midnight Hammer was based on actionable intelligence or once again fueled by decades of speculative rhetoric. Some defense analysts argue that the mission may have been more about sending a message than neutralizing a confirmed threat.
“Every few years, we’re told Iran is just months away from a bomb,” one retired intelligence official told The Guardian. “But the timeline keeps slipping—and the evidence never arrives.”
This latest strike, they argue, risks repeating the same intelligence failures that led to the 2003 Iraq invasion, where alleged weapons of mass destruction were never found.
Retaliation Begins
In the hours following the strike, Iran launched a barrage of missiles into Israel, reportedly injuring civilians in Tel Aviv. Meanwhile, Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen announced they would join the retaliation, signaling the possibility of a regional flare-up.
Back in Washington, the political divide deepened. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) questioned the legality of the strike, warning against presidential overreach and “erratic threats with no long-term strategy.”
A Regional Powder Keg
The United Nations issued an urgent call for de-escalation, with Secretary-General António Guterres warning:
“At this perilous hour, it is critical to avoid a spiral of chaos.”
The U.S. has since placed all forces in the Gulf, Iraq, and Syria on high alert as military planners brace for potential Iranian retaliation or proxy attacks.
Operation Midnight Hammer is being hailed by military brass as a tactical and technological triumph, but the long-term consequences remain unclear. With Iran vowing revenge, the Middle East may be heading toward a far broader and bloodier conflict than anything seen in recent memory.
This is a developing story. Follow TheSaltySoldier.com for updates as they come in.
